Fire-boat.



C. B. ASKEW.

FIRE BOAT.

ABPLIQAHON FILED AUG. s1, 190s.

969,440. Patented sept. s, 1910.

mnulnuuw- CHARLES B. ASKEW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. e, 1910'.

Application filed August 31, 1908. Serial No. 450,956.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. AsKEw, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Boats, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in fire boats, and has for its general object to provide a fire boat which may be operated, if necessary, directly within the flame area, or within an area of heat so intense that the firemen could not exist therein on a boat of ordinary construction.

In the fighting of fires, articularly from a water front, where the e ect of the heat is not obstructed, it is often impossible for the fire fighting apparatus to get within effective distance of the flames, and it is a matter of common experience that streams of water thrown from a considerable distance from the fire are ineffective, as the stream breaks and the water is turned into vapor before it reaches the burning structure.

It is a salient object of my invention to provide a fire boat so constructed that it can be brought into very close proximity to the fire area and effectively operated at very close range to the fire.

In general my invention resides in the provision of a boat wherein the superstructure, to be inhabited by the firemen, is equipped with a water jacket of heat-resisting material, through the hollow interior of which water is contained or is constantly passed to prevent the heat from penetrating to the interior thereof.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a re boat; Fig.'2 is a longitudinal, vertical, substantially central section therethrough. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view of a port hole and closure. Fig. 5 is a detail of the automatic door-opening device.

In the construction illustrated, 10 indicates in general the hull of the boat, which may be of fire proof construction, and is preferably provided with a sectional fire proof armor 11, composed of a series of plates, 12, 12, suspended from the rail of the hull and depending almost to the water line. These plates 12, 12, may be detachably connected to the rail of the vessel, so as to be readily removed or lifted out of the way when the boat is in transit. l

The floors ofthe deck of the boat may be viire-proofed in any desired manner, or as indicated in Fig. 2, they may be made of metal pieces 14, spaced apart to provide a water circulation space 15, in or through which water may be contained or circulated to prevent the transmission of eXtra heat through the deck to the interior of the boat.

The superstructure of the boat, intended to be inhabited by the firemen when the boat is in use, is constructed in the form of a cabin, provided at suitable intervals with port holes 17, preferably glazed mica 17 or other preferably transparent, heat-resisting material. Each port is provided with a frame 17c containing a plurality of mica closures 17 17a, 17", and arranged so that a new closure may be quickly substituted in the event of puncture or breaking of any one in use, by sliding the frame to bring a new closure over the port. The structure is also preferably provided in its top with one or more doors 18, in addition to doors 19, in the end thereof, to permit ingress or egress to or from the interior. The entire wall area of the cabin 16 is formed of two thicknesses of metal spaced apart to provide a water space 20 therebetween, and the doors are similarly constructed.

For supplying water to the water spaces, any suitable means may be employed, the arrangement herein illustratively shown comprising a suitable pump 21 drawing water from an inlet 22, below the water line, discharging it through a piping system 23, having permanent branches leading to the stationary water jacket, and flexible connections 24 leading to the doors and other movable parts, each door and section of the jacket having also an outlet connection 25, leading to the exterior of the boat preferably above the water line, so that fresh, cool water may continually be drawn through the inlet 22, passed through the water jacket and discharged at the exterior of the boat, so that the water in its passage may absorb the heat and prevent its raising the heat of the interior of the cabin to an undue or unpleasant degree.

I prefer that the opening or openings 18 in the roof of the structure shall be arranged to open automatically in case the cabin should become iiooded or the boat should sink, to insure that the firemen will not be imprisoned therein. And to this end I provide within the hull of the boa-t floats 2T, of suitable construction, connected by levers 28 with the doors 18 so as to open the latter in case the float should be raised by the ingress of Water into the hull.

It will be understood that suitable engines for propelling the boat, pumping water and operating the circulating water pump will be employed, but these parts are not herein shown in detail and form no part of my invention.

I preferably provide upon the deck of the boat a water monitor 30, operable from the interior of the cabin. In the illustration I have shown the head of the monitor 30 as movable by a simple lever 3l, but it will be understood that any suitable improved mechanism for operatingan hydraulic monil tor may be employed, and the particular means forms no part of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;

l. In a fire boat, a cabin, provided with hollow metal walls, means for circulating water through said walls, an hydraulic monitor exterior to said cabin, and means for operating said monitor extending into and operable from said cabin.

amount of water into said hull.

8. A boat of the character described, hav- I ing a cabin provided with a port hole, a frame containing a plurality of transparent closures, and a means for substituting one of said closures for any one of the others in said frame to close said port hole.

4. In a boat of the character described, having' a closed tire-proof cabin and a deck, means for directing a stream of water from the deck, and means for controlling said means from the interior of the cabin.

5. In a boat of the character described, having a hull and a closed cabin, doors for closing said cabin, and means within said hull adapted and arranged tocause said doors to open when a predetermined amount of water has been admitted into said hull.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. ASKEW.

In the presence of` FORE BAIN, MARY F. ALLEN. 

